Why I Fell in Love with New York Theater

When I first moved to New York after school, I was searching for who I really was an artist, a Southerner, or maybe something else entirely. I loved acting but felt inexperienced and embarrassed by how little I knew. What I discovered was that New York didn’t care about any of that.

The city didn’t care what you looked like or where you came from. As long as you showed up ready to learn the craft, you had a place. What made it even more exciting was the abundance of small black box theaters where you could begin your journey.

For me, the dream wasn’t necessarily Broadway but it was Off-Broadway. Companies like Playwrights Horizons, Second Stage, New York Theater Workshop, and The Public Theater represented the heart of exploration. Off-Broadway gave me the freedom to take risks, focus on story, and truly grow as an artist. That space to explore is why I’ll always love New York theater.